Electronic signature services are increasing in importance in step with the increasing digitalization of modern work flows. Regulations sanctioning the use of electronic signatures have matured to the point where it is common to use electronic signatures for a myriad of documents without a user pausing to question if the contract will be enforceable or not. The enforceability of contracts executed using an electronic signature service, as set by the regulations controlling their use, is dependent upon the electronic signature service retaining a record of the execution of the contract. The record can be keyed to a string of characters. The string of characters can then be written onto the executed contract and printed out to link the physical instantiation of the executed contract with the electronic record of the contract's execution. The string of characters can be referred to as a universal identifier (UID) or global universal identifier.
FIG. 1 provides an illustration of a contract 100 as it would appear in a print out or on a monitor after having been executed. The contract will generally be provided by a user of the electronic signature service, and the electronic signature service may have no ex ante knowledge of the content of the contract. As illustrated, the contract has been executed and the electronic signature service has applied UID 101 to the contract. The location on the contract where the UID appears is determined by the electronic signature service. However, the user that produces or uploads the contract itself may include their own information in the margins of the document, such as a barcode 102, or some other mark. These marks may overlap with the UID and make the UID or the mark illegible. In addition, the contract may include content that extends to border areas of the document. As illustrated, signature block 103 overlaps with UID 101 and the content of both UID 101 and signature block 103 has been obscured. Aside from looking less professional and polished, the application of the UID to the document in this manner renders the UID less capable of serving its intended purpose and may obscure important content of the underlying signature document.